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Eighteen international lake experts meet at the Cary Institute

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Their focus? Keeping a pulse on the health of the world’s lakes

Millbrook, N.Y. – This week the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is hosting eighteen leaders in lake science. They hail from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Hungary, Ireland, Taiwan, Argentina, Canada, Ireland, and China. Together, they form the steering committee for the Global Lake Ecological Observatory (GLEON).

GLEON is a grassroots network of lake scientists, environmental researchers, information technology experts, and engineers. There are more than 300 members world-wide. And their common goal is to build a scalable, network of lake ecology observatories in order to improve understanding how human actions and extreme weather impact lakes.

Dr. Kathleen C. Weathers, a Senior Scientist at the Cary Institute, is a co-chair of GLEON. She notes, "As we depend on lakes and reservoirs for drinking water, recreation, and other services –we are degrading them by activities that result in pollution, watershed development, and the introduction to invasive species. These ecosystems are vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as tropical storms and hurricanes."

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is a private, not-for-profit environmental research and education organization in Millbrook, N.Y. For more than twenty-five years, Cary Institute scientists have been investigating the complex interactions that govern the natural world. Their objective findings lead to more effective policy decisions and increased environmental literacy. Focal areas include air and water pollution, climate change, invasive species, and the ecological dimensions of infectious disease.